From Villa Real to Zurich – Interview with Lucilia Carvalho Ribeiro

Lucilia Carvalho Ribeiro, 45, moved to Switzerland at the age of 18 from Vila Real, in northern Portugal. After several years working in hospitality and the food industry, she settled in Zurich, where she now works as a cleaning professional.

How did you become a cleaner?

When I arrived in Switzerland, I wasn’t quite sure what to do at first, since I had stopped studying. I started working in a restaurant in 1998 when I arrived in the country. After that, I worked in a vegetable store, packaging, sorting, a bit of everything. Then I moved to Zurich and started working in cleaning.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I start work at 6 a.m. That’s not related to my quitt clients, I work two hours every morning for the SBB as a cleaning staff. After that, I continue with my quitt clients. Everything goes very well, and I feel good throughout the day.

What is your relationship with your employers?

Very good. On weekends, I work for maybe 8 or 9 families, everyone is kind to me. I’m really happy.

Have you worked for a cleaning agency before?

Yes, I worked at Mamiexpress. That was good too. But at one point, my brother was getting married, and they didn’t want to give me time off to attend. I thought that was unfair, so I resigned. Later, they changed their mind and offered me the vacation anyway – but I said no, it was over.

How did you find out about quitt?

When I left Mamiexpress, a friend told me about quitt. I didn’t know it at the time. She said, “Why doesn’t everyone just sign up with quitt?” I did some research, signed up, and that’s how it started. And it’s been going well with quitt ever since.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I like to leave things clean and tidy so that people come home and see right away that I was there. I love it when they are happy with my work.

How do you spend your day off?

I like to be at home, especially when I’m tired, even on weekends. I like to watch TV or go for a walk with my husband.

What are your plans for the future?

I already have almost everything I wanted. My son has a job now, so we’re just waiting six more years, then we’ll move back to Portugal.